


Vengeance is Mine

by Batfink



Category: Deadpool - All Media Types, Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, BAMF Clint Barton, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Clint gets stabby, Established Relationship, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Hero Wade Wilson, Hurt Clint Barton, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Married Couple, Mentioned Natasha Romanoff, Protective Clint Barton, Protective Wade Wilson, Some Humor, Steve Rogers Feels, Swearing, Wade Wilson Breaking the Fourth Wall, briefly mentioned, just a tiny reference, mentioned Tony Stark, past Clint Barton/Wade Wilson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 19:25:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14754836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batfink/pseuds/Batfink
Summary: Clint raised the bloody knife and held it in front of himself.  “They tortured every inch of me.  You expect me to forget it?”“What?”  Steve gasped.  “No of course not, but this isn't what we do.  We're better than the bad guys, Clint.”Clint shook his head.  “No Steve.  I'm not.”  He wiped the bloody knife on his leg and then grinned up at Steve.  “Vengeance is mine.”





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from the song of the same name by Alice Cooper which inspired this story.

“Hey Clint. How's it going?” Steve asked finding Clint lounging in his kitchen.

Clint shrugged. “Could be better.”

Steve looked at him. “Better how?”

“You could agree to go on a date with me?” Clint grinned, blushing slightly.

“I'd love too.” Steve smiled surprising Clint with his easy reply.

\--- 

“Oh my fuck!” Tony groaned catching Steve and Clint smooching... again. “You two are both sickening and adorable. Go away.”

The two of them laughed but left Tony's lab.

\--- 

“Blanket hog.” Steve snapped.

“Bed hog!” Clint countered.

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Even your arguing is sickening.”

\--- 

“Will you marry me?” Steve asked and Clint gaped at him for a full minute before Natasha had to intervene and nudge him back to reality.

“Yes.” Clint gasped and Steve laughed.

They couldn't wear their wedding rings very often but both got matching tattoos of two arrows crossed in front of Cap's shield.

\--- 

“How long's the mission?” Steve asked as he watched Clint pack his bow.

“Shouldn't be more than a week.” Clint replied. “I'll call as often as I can.”

“I'll miss you.” Steve pouted.

“Miss you more.” Clint matched the pout with one of his own.

A fake retching noise could be heard from the hallway.

“That'll be my ride.” Clint laughed as Bucky appeared in the doorway, miming sticking his fingers down his throat.

“Six years and you two are no less sickening.” Bucky huffed.

“You should cover your eyes right now then.” Steve laughed as he pulled Clint to him for a goodbye kiss to remember.

“I can still hear you.” Bucky groaned, hand covering his eyes. “We gotta go, man or you'll miss your flight.”

Reluctantly, Clint pulled away from Steve. “See you soon, love you lots.”

“Love you too.” Steve smiled fondly at Clint and then followed him to the door where he waved him off.


	2. Chapter 2

It took almost four weeks, but eventually Steve found him. Bursting into the room, he staggered to a stop and just stared at his husband, tied to a chair, bloody and bruised and swollen so much that he was almost unrecognisable.

Blood matted blonde hair shifted and one blue eye blinked up, the other swollen and glued shut by blood. “Steve?” A hoarse voice croaked and Steve could finally move again. The shock trance broken as he stumbled across the room to fall to his knees at Clint's feet.

“Fuck!” He swore softly, hands hovering around Clint, scared to touch any part of him for fear of hurting him more.

“Language.” Clint teased, before coughing up blood which he spat unceremoniously onto the floor.

Bucky came running into the room and slid to a stop beside them. “Well, fuck!” He exclaimed before pulling a knife from his belt and reaching behind Clint to slice the ropes. Clint, like a puppet with the strings cut fell forwards and Steve reached out to grab him. With a groan, Clint fell into his arms. Steve hefted him up and stood, turning towards the door, carrying Clint to the exit.

“We got them all.” Bucky informed Steve who nodded.

“No.” Clint croaked. “They...” He paused to cough up more blood. “They... weren't all, h...here.” Before Bucky could ask for more information, Clint went limp in Steve's arms. Steve stopped walking, a horrified look on his face. Bucky immediately reached for Clint's neck and felt for the pulse.

“Still alive.” He removed his hand and Steve started walking as quickly as he dared out to the waiting quin-jet.

\--- 

“Honestly.” The doctor said to Steve many hours later. “I don't know how he's still alive. I've seen people die of a lot less. It will be quicker to tell you which bones they didn't break. His spine, thankfully, one rib and his jaw basically, I guess they needed him to talk. He's also been shot, stabbed, burned, electrocuted.”

Steve turned pale and Bucky grabbed him, stuffed him into a chair before he keeled over. “Can I... can I see him?” Steve stammered.

“He's in a medically induced coma, but yes. You can go sit with him.” The doctor nodded.

Steve took a deep breath and slowly rose from the seat. Bucky grabbing his arm to steady him as he made his way towards Clint's room. He paused, hand on the door handle and looked to Bucky, tears in his eyes. He hadn't been brave enough to ask the Doctor what Clint's chances were of recovering. Bucky gave a swift nod and Steve opened the door, stepping inside while Bucky pulled the door shut behind him and took up position guarding the door.


	3. Chapter 3

It was two weeks before the doctors were ready to bring Clint out of the coma. Another week before he awoke. Steve had never left his room and was slumped over in a hard plastic chair, head resting on Clint's bed.

Gingerly, Clint lifted his hand and set it on top of Steve's head. Steve's eyes snapped open and it took a supreme effort for him not to bolt upright. He was afraid of hurting Clint with a sudden movement.

“Hey.” Clint croaked.

Steve smiled at him. “Hey yourself.”

Clint's hand moved and a bandaged finger stroked across Steve's cheek. Slowly Steve pressed in towards Clint's touch for a moment before pulling away to sit up, dragging the chair even closer to the bed and reaching out to gently take Clint's hand in his own. “Doc says you'll be okay.” He said quietly. Bucky had been asking and told Steve only once the answer had turned more positive.

“I'll be okay if you kiss me.” Clint gave him a pained grin.

“I don't want to hurt you.” Steve frowned.

“I can handle it.” Clint smiled a little wider. “Come on, please?”

Steve raised up and gently pressed his lips to Clint's. Clint winced, but when Steve tried to pull back, a bandaged hand seized his arm and held him in place pressing their lips more firmly together before Clint's lips parted and his tongue licked at Steve's lips until he parted them and let Clint deepen the kiss.

When they parted, Clint was clearly in pain, but also smiling at Steve, both eyes now clear and sparkling with love for his husband.

Steve leaned back in his chair. “I'm sorry.” He whispered. “We should have found you sooner.”

Clint shook his head. “Doesn't matter.”

Steve opened his mouth to protest, but Clint interrupted him. “Bucky here?”

“Uh, yeah. He's right outside.” Steve answered confused.

“Can you get him for me. I need a word.” Clint asked.

Steve reluctantly pushed back the chair and went to the door, telling Bucky to come inside.

“Hey, look who finally decided it was time to wake up.” Bucky announced cheerfully as he sauntered over to the bed grinning.

Clint nodded to him before looking to Steve. “Can you give us a minute?” He asked.

Surprised, Steve nodded and left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, Clint's gaze snapped to Bucky's. “Tell me everyone you took out.”

Bucky grabbed his 'phone from his pocket and pulled up the files listing off all the names of the people that had been in the building Clint was rescued from, turning the device to show Clint their pictures. He then told Clint that because of what he had said that day, they had been looking into the people involved and had managed to track down and bring in several others. He listed off their names too showing Clint the pictures again.

“Fuck!” Clint swore. “That's not all of them.”

“Well, give me names.” Bucky demanded. “Tell me everything you know.”

“No!” Clint snapped. “Get me a laptop instead.”

Surprised by Clint's anger, Bucky didn't argue. He turned and left the room.

Steve slipped back into the room as Bucky stepped out the door. He was barely two steps towards Clint when Clint locked eyes with him. “Go home Steve. You look like you haven't slept in weeks.”

“I'm fine.” Steve shrugged.

Clint glared at him. “Go!” He insisted.

Startled, Steve fell back a step. “Are you okay Clint?” He asked gently.

“I'm fine.” Clint snarled. “I'd like to get some sleep and I suggest you do the same. At. Home.”

Shocked, Steve backed up and left the room.


	4. Chapter 4

From that point on, Clint was like a changed man. He snarled and snapped at Steve every time he came to visit. Constantly angry at everything Steve did. Steve already feeling guilty about taking so long to find Clint, accepted his rage as nothing more than what he deserved.

The doctors called it PTSD, told Steve Clint should see a therapist. Clint told Steve and the doctors to fuck off. He split his time between research on the laptop and physical therapy. Constantly pushing his body to do more than it was ready for. Tony had brought in specialists when Clint was first brought in and Clint had undergone several cutting edge procedures that had pieced him back together as much as was humanly possible but it was still a frustratingly slow process to Clint's mind even though the doctors and physical therapists kept telling him he was making remarkable progress.

When Clint was finally released, he returned to the Bed-Stuy apartment he shared with Steve but he was no less angry. He carried a gun at all times. Not yet fit enough to use his bow again. Strangely enough, it was the jarring oddity of Clint with a gun that made Steve feel the worst. Clint wouldn't sleep in their bedroom, if he slept at all it was usually conked out over the laptop at the kitchen table. He flinched every time Steve touched him until eventually Steve stopped trying. Tried to stay away from Clint as much as possible.

After two weeks of walking on egg shells, Steve awoke one morning and ventured out of the bedroom to find Clint, his laptop and his go bag had disappeared.

“We expected this.” Bucky sighed when Steve arrived at his door, a few minutes later. Bucky has the apartment next door. “That laptop I gave him. Stark put tracking and cloning software on it. We know what he's been doing.” He ushered Steve inside and led him over to his own laptop open on the counter.

“It seems Clint was being held on the orders of a man called 'The General'. We know next to nothing about him, except to say, he is not one of the good guys. He's like the boogeyman's worst nightmare.” He clicked on a few grainy images and Steve leaned over to peer at them. “We think Clint got to see him in person at least once so he will know what he looks like better than us. We don't have a location on him, but it looks like Clint tracked down some of his goons that managed to escape us and we're pretty sure he went after them, looking for better intel.”

“So we need to go help him.” Steve replied turning for the door.

Bucky nodded. “Suit up. We'll take my bike.” At a look from Steve he added. “Clint took yours.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Here be the violence*

They caught up to Clint about an hour later, standing over a badly beaten man a gun pointed to the guys head. “If you don't talk, you're of no use to me.” Clint snarled cocking the gun.

“I don't know where he is. I swear.” The man stammered as Clint loomed over him.

“Clint?” Steve announced as he and Bucky approached.

“For fuck's sake.” Clint muttered before pulling the trigger. “Steve.” He turned to look at his husband. “What are you doing here?”

Steve was looking at him in shock. “We came to help. Did you just kill that man?”

Clint rolled his eyes. “No, Steve. I just helped him take a little nap.”

Steve gaped at him. “That isn't how we do things Clint.”

Rage flashed in Clint's eyes. “No, Steve. That isn't how YOU do things.”

Steve stepped towards Clint, but Bucky grabbed his arm. Held him back as Clint's gun hand twitched. “Look, we just want to help.” Bucky stated softly.

Clint's lip curled in disgust. “Go home Steve. I can handle this.” He turned and left the room. Steve and Bucky followed him out at a short distance. Clint ransacked the building and finally located a stack of files, he shuffled quickly through the pile, pulling a few out and tucking them under his arm before turning to leave. As he passed Steve and Bucky who were watching from inside the room, he heard a noise and took off after it, Steve and Bucky quickly running after him.

Clint tackled the escaping man and slammed him to the ground. Pulling back and grabbing the man's head before slamming it repeatedly into the floor. He pushed back and stood dragging the man into a sitting position as he went. “Where's the General?” He demanded.

Steve and Bucky had stopped a few feet back and were watching. The man glanced from Clint to the two of them. “They can't help you.” Clint growled, not looking back at them.

“I don't know.” The man replied and before any of them could react, Clint had pulled a knife from his belt and jammed it into the man's stomach.

Steve jerked forwards, but again Bucky grabbed his arm, held him back.

“If I pull this knife out, you'll bleed out in seconds.” Clint stated calmly. “Tell me something useful and I'll leave it in. You might just make it to a hospital.”

The man choked slightly, spat up a mouthful of blood but managed to whisper something to Clint. Clint smiled wickedly. “Thanks for that.” He stood and as he did so, he pulled the knife free.

“CLINT NO!” Steve screamed, tearing free of Bucky's grip and rushing over in time to see the man cough up some more blood and then slump over. “How could you?” Steve demanded advancing on Clint.

Clint raised the bloody knife and held it in front of himself. “They tortured every inch of me. You expect me to forget it?”

“What?” Steve gasped. “No of course not, but this isn't what we do. We're better than the bad guys, Clint.”

Clint shook his head. “No Steve. I'm not.” He wiped the bloody knife on his leg and then grinned up at Steve. “Vengeance is mine.”

Steve reared back, shocked and completely confused as to how this man standing in front of him could be his husband. “Go home, Steve.” Clint stated again. “Unless you want to end up bloody.”

He turned and strode from the room. Steve made to go after him but Bucky spoke up. “We need help here Steve.”

Steve turned to look at him. “Who do you have in mind?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Violence done... for now*


	6. Chapter 6

“Stevie, baby. How nice of you to call?” Deadpool sang when he answered the call.

“I need your help Wade.” Steve stated.

“That sounds ominous? What's up?” Deadpool asked.

“It's about Clint?”

“Baby blue? What's he been up to now?”

Steve filled Wade in on the past few months. Ending with what they had witnessed today.

“Clint was missing for nearly a MONTH and you didn't think to call me?” Deadpool practically shrieked into the handset.

“I know.” Steve replied. “And in the long list of ways I fucked that whole thing up, believe me, there is a space for you, but right now, I can't help him.” He paused and waited, he was pretty sure he knew what would come next.

“Say it.” Deadpool demanded.

Steve sighed, he'd been right. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

“Yes!” Deadpool cheered. “I knew you'd have to say it one of these days.”

“Only for Clint's sake.” Steve replied sadly. “I'll text you the address of a safe house Tony thinks he might be using. Let me know if you don't find him there.”

“I won't let you down, Cap.” Deadpool promised before hanging up.


	7. Chapter 7

Clint was exhausted by the time he made it back to the safe house, but still on high alert. He knew as soon as he entered the hallway that something was amiss. He had closed the bedroom door this morning. Cautiously he crept towards it, gun drawn and eased inside. The view that greeted him was both surprising and yet somehow also, not.

Wade Wilson was stretched out on the bed wearing only his boxers, a rose clamped between his teeth. Clint slumped in relief and crossed to place his gun on the bedside table. “Whatever it is can it wait until morning, D?” He asked beginning to strip off his clothes. “I'm still supposed to be recovering and I tire more easily these days.”

Wade didn't reply. He just flipped back the covers and patted the mattress. Clint nodded in thanks and dropped the last of his clothes to the floor, slipping under the covers, he was in just his boxers too. Wade reached over him to place the rose on the bedside table beside his gun and then scrambled under the covers and spooned up against Clint's back. He slid his arms around Clint silently.

Clint huffed half in amusement, half in annoyance and moved Wade's hands from his groin to his chest. Then promptly fell asleep.

Mornings were tough for Clint now. He woke up with aching joints and stiff muscles. It didn't help this morning that he also awoke on his back with Wade sprawled across his chest. “Hey.” He said softly, shaking Wade's shoulder. “D, wake up. I need to move.” Slowly, Wade's eyes flickered open and he gave a massive yawn.

“Huh, wassup?” He mumbled.

“I need to move, cramp.” Clint grimaced.

Wade bolted upright. “Where?”

“My leg.” Clint pointed to his right leg where it twitched under the covers. Wade immediately pushed back the covers and started massaging the muscles in Clint's calf. As he did so, he looked over the mess that was trying to pass for Clint's skin these days.

“Christ on a Unicorn.” Wade exclaimed as he took in all the scars criss-crossing Clint's body. “You look almost as bad as me.” He ran his hands further up Clint's leg noticing a dent in his thigh where a chunk of his flesh had been gouged out. “Fuck, I take it back. I think you're in worse shape than me.”

Clint huffed. “Probably.”

“Why'd they do it?” Wade asked quietly, still massaging Clint's leg.

“I had information they wanted.” Clint replied softly.

“Clint.” Wade looked up and caught his eyes. “No information is worth taking this kind of punishment.”

“They wanted Steve.” Clint replied.

Realisation dawned on Wade's face. “That's why you've been pushing Steve away. That's why you pretended to be on some mad vendetta. You weren't trying to get pay back, you were trying to kill them before they got to Steve, you were worried they would come after you and use you to find him. Worried that if he came to help you, they would get him that way.”

Clint nodded.

“Fuck.” Wade breathed then perked up. “Well, at least now we know what the problem is.” He tapped his head in reference to the voices in there. “Let's fuck these fuckers up so you can go home.”

Clint chuckled. “Maybe a shower and some coffee first yeah?”

“Oh fine.” Wade sighed dramatically. “If we must, we must.”

Clint hauled himself out of bed and ambled over to the door to the bathroom. Wade climbed out of bed and followed after him. “That wasn't an invitation.” He scowled at Wade, but there was no real heat behind it.

“It wasn't not an invitation either, Baby Blue.” Wade grinned and pushed him into the bathroom.

Wade actually managed to stay quiet for the first ten minutes of their shared shower. He was rubbing a sponge gently across Clint's scarred back when he finally spoke. “Do you ever regret it?”

“Regret what?” Clint asked, turning his head to glance back over his shoulder.

“Leaving me to shack up with Steve?” Wade pouted.

“Leaving you!?!” Clint spun to face him incredulous. “You left ME for Vanessa, remember?”

“I didn't leave you for her.” Wade frowned. “We would have shared.”

Clint turned back around and started rinsing off under the spray. “Yeah, well. I don't share.”

They didn't speak again until they were both suited up and drinking coffee at the kitchen table and then it was only Clint explaining his latest intel and Wade joining in on the planning.

“You ready?” Clint asked as he holstered his gun and pulled a rifle from his duffle bag.

“Always ready for you, Baby Blue.” Wade grinned sheathing his Katanas.

Clint rolled his eyes at him and headed for the door. “Would you stop calling me that.” He called back over his shoulder as Wade trotted after him.

“Nuh-uh.” Wade giggled. “The author likes it too much.”

Clint gave him side-eye as he pulled the door closed, making sure the locks clicked. Wade just shrugged.

The two of them spent the day and well into the night, slicing, shooting, punching and threatening until they had the intel they required. They knew where the General was going to be the next day. All they had to do was wait.

They headed back to the safe house and tried to get some sleep. Neither of them were very successful at it and in the morning they hauled themselves out, tired, caffeinated and ready for it all to be over.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Violence*

In order to get to the General, Clint had to let himself get captured by the goons. It should have been obvious to them that it was a trap the second they caught him. He hadn't been easy to catch the last time. In fact they only caught him at all with a well timed tranquilliser dart. Thankfully though, they were more muscle than brains and frankly, Deadpool thought, even in the muscles department they were lacking.

“Welcome back.” The General grinned as Clint was dumped on the floor in front of him. “Ready to tell me where Captain Rogers is, or shall we go for round two?”

Clint spat blood on the floor. “Go to hell.” He grinned up at the man.

The General took a step towards Clint but then jerked in shock as a spray of bullets took out half his goons before any of them had a chance to react. It wasn't long before Clint was in the middle of a gun battle, watching the General's eyes darting around for an exit.

Quickly Clint stood and Wade tossed him a gun. The General was already running and Clint spun to go after him. “You got this?” He yelled to Wade as he ran for the exit.

“Maximum Effort!” Was Wade's breathless reply as he slashed at one of the bigger goons with a Katana.

Clint ran. He slammed through the door in time to see the General a few steps from boarding a helicopter, the pilot already on board and the rotors already spinning.

“Not this time.” Clint growled and took aim. The first shot hit the General in the back. The second and third took out the tail rotors so the helicopter couldn't take off as the General was crawling towards it now.

Clint stomped out towards the helicopter, raising his gun and shooting the pilot before he could take a shot at Clint. He stopped beside the General and kicked him, flipping him onto his back. “I vowed to protect Steve Rogers 'til the day I die and I keep my vows.” His hand tightened on the gun for a second before he pulled the trigger.

Sighing, his head dropped. “I'm sorry Steve.” He whispered before turning and heading back to help Wade finish off the goons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *End Violence*


	9. Chapter 9

They returned to the safe house and got cleaned up. Clint was packing up the last of his gear in the bedroom when Wade came in. “Well, I guess I'd better be going now.” He grinned.

Clint turned to face him. “Thanks, D.” He smiled before pulling him over and into a hug. Naturally Wade seized the opportunity to plant a kiss on Clint's lips.

A chuckle came from the doorway. “Wow, that's hotter than it has any right to be.” Steve laughed.

Clint jerked back and looked towards him. “Steve?”

“Wade called.” Steve smiled fondly at the man in red.

Clint turned to look at Wade and he shrugged. “I know what it's like to hurt the people you love when you're just trying to protect them. Funny thing, it's easier to get forgiveness than to ask for it.”

He pecked Clint on the cheek and turned to leave. Steve stopped him in the doorway and held out his hand. Wade took it, smiling. “Thank you Obi-Wan.” Steve grinned at him and beaming, Wade left.

Steve crossed to Clint. “You're amazing.” He paused. “And an idiot.”

Clint was staring at his shoes. “Forgive me?” He whispered.

Steve placed a finger under Clint's chin and pushed it up until Clint looked him in the eyes. “Nothing to forgive.” He wrapped his arms around Clint and pulled him into a kiss. A moment later Steve pulled back. “Let's go home, yeah?”

Clint grinned and took Steve's hand. “Sure thing husband.”


End file.
